Oilers set for lengthy stay

At one point this season, it was a battle of attrition for the Huntington Beach High girls’ volleyball team.

“We kind of went through a rough stretch with injuries and the flu virus,” Coach Craig Pazanti said. “We had a couple losses which were uncharacteristic. We could have folded up.”

Far from that, the Oilers now head into the CIF Southern Section Division 1A playoffs hoping to make a deep run. They topped Brea Olinda, 25-15, 25-14, 25-11, Tuesday and play host to Serrano tonight in the second round.

Huntington Beach won a share of the Sea View League title Nov. 5 with a three-game sweep over Woodbridge. The Warriors were one of the teams the Oilers lost to during their funk earlier in the season, but they found a way, sharing the league title with El Toro.

Both teams finished 7-3 in league.

“Our goal is to win the league every year and try to make a run at it,” said Pazanti, formerly an assistant coach at Huntington Beach, his alma mater, with longtime Coach Rocky Ciarelli. Pazanti also won three CIF titles as head coach at Mater Dei and is in his first year as head man back at Huntington Beach.

He said he’s proud of his girls for winning the Sea View League this year.

“I hope this gives us more confidence going back into the Sunset League next year,” Pazanti said.

Senior Haleigh Hampton had 21 kills and seven blocks against Brea Olinda. Andrea Streips had 13 kills and Savannah Clark chipped in 21 digs.

In other CIF playoff action:

 In girls’ volleyball, Edison swept by Newbury Park, 25-15, 25-7, 25-17, on the road in a Division 1AA first-round match. Hallie Carter had 12 kills for the Chargers, the third-place team from the Sunset League, who play at Long Beach Wilson tonight in the second round. Wilson, the Moore League champion, is the fourth-seeded team in the division.

Ocean View, the Golden West League champion, got past Flintridge Prep Tuesday in a Division 3A first-round match, 22-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-23. The Seahawks, the No. 4-seeded team in the division, play host to Valle Vista League champ San Dimas in the second round tonight at home.

Brethren Christian lost a five-game thriller to Linfield Christian in the first round of the Division 4AA playoffs. Game scores were 17-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-23, 12-15.

 In boys’ water polo, Huntington Beach got three goals from John Lovat and two each from Max Schultz and Tiki Toplak in a 13-7 win over Beckman in a CIF Southern Section Division I wild-card match Tuesday.

The Oilers played at No. 2-seeded Newport Harbor Wednesday.

Ocean View fell at Santa Ynez, 12-8, in a Division VI first-round game despite three goals from Steven Kornahrens and two from Nick Do.

Fountain Valley fell in a Division I wild-card game to Buena, 10-7, despite two goals each from Tony Frens, Nick Ingram and Loren Tengan.

Los Amigos, the Garden Grove League champion, opens the Division VII playoffs today with a 3:15 p.m. home game against Kennedy.

 In girls’ tennis, Huntington Beach plays at Thousand Oaks in a Division I first-round match today at 2 p.m.

Ocean View fell to Marshall in a Division V wild-card match Tuesday, 11-7.